The Pain Of Perfection
by Hallow Sisters On My Mind
Summary: Ethel notices bruises on Esmerelda and realises how much she is pushed in order to achieve everything she does. WW 2017. Oneshot.


A/N: Just a short idea I got, enjoy. Disclaimer: I do not own the Worst Witch or the characters.

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 **The Pain Of Perfection**

"Oww you are hurting me" Esmerelda complained as her father held her wrist rushing her down the field for the competition.

"Are you not excited about the competion darling?" her mother asked. Truthfully the girl wasn't, this was a beautiful summers day she was wasting in a stupid competition her parents entered her for when she could have being with her sisters.

Her mother took a hold of her other wrist both rushing her quickly.

"Oww you are squeezing to hard" Esmerelda complained to them as they were hurting her quite badly but they were not listening they were far to excited about the prize and they did not let go of her until it was time for her to get ready.

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It was a week later and Esmerelda was sitting at a table in the library reading a book when Ethel appeared behind her.

"Hey Esmie" Ethel said with a smile to her sister.

"Hey Ethie" Esmerelda said with a smile hiding her pain from her sister.

"Guess what I learned how to do a new spell, give me your arm" Ethel said excitedly wanting to demonstrate the spell.

Esmerelda normally would love to see her sisters new spell but right now she didn't want to give her her arm.

"Why?" Esmerelda asked suspiciously.

As Esmerelda and Ethel were sisters, grabbing each others arms was not anything unusual when they were messing around so Ethel gently grabbed her sisters arm wanting to show her sister the spell, it was true the girl was not squeezing tight at all but Esmerelda hissed in clear pain.

"Esmie?" Ethel said looking at her confused and concerned.

"I am fine" Esmerelda told Ethel not wanting Ethel to make a big deal out of this.

Ethel gave her sister a look knowing she was not fine and unbuttoned the girls blouse sleeve and started to roll it up before she had time to protest.

"No Ethie" Esmerelda said trying to stop her but it was to late as she had already seen the problem.

Esmerelda had black bruises all around her wrist as if someone had been gripping her and pulling her around hard, the way the bruises were could only of being caused by someone pulling her not by her own hand.

"Oh my" Ethel said as she looked at the bruises in shock "Esmie what happened?" Ethel asked looking at her clearly upset. Esmie sighed deciding to just tell her.

"Mum and dad...they don't do it on purpose they get a little overexcited when they are dragging me around competitions" Esmerelda explained to Ethel who looked at her in shock, she had never realised her parents pushed her sister quite so hard and Ethel felt awful.

"Don't say anything, I can deal with a few bruises but I can;t deal with losing you if we get taken away from home because of a few bruises" Esmerelda told Ethel.

Ethel understood, if she told and social services found out they would probably be taken away for abuse and siblings rarely stay together so they would lose each other.

"I will not tell if you promise me something" Ethel said to her sister looking at her seriously.

"What do you want me to promise?" Esmerelda asked pulling her sleeve down before someone walked past and saw the horrible black marks on her wrist.

"Promise me that is the only way they hurt you, promise me they haven't being hitting you or something" Ethel asked her sister needing to be reassured. Ethel did not believe they would do that, after all Esmerelda was their precious oldest girl but if they got as 'overexcited' as Esmerelda said maybe they sometimes went to far.

Esmerelda sighed but replied "I promise, they haven't done anything...well not physically anyway" she said adding the last bit quietly speaking more to herself, Ethel heard though and saw her sister lost in thought and was worried as Esmerelda bit her lip as if wanting to tell Ethel something else.

"What do you mean not physically anyway?" Ethel asked her sister concerned about what on earth that meant, Esmerelda shook her head and smiled coming out of her thoughts.

"Nothing nothing...they can just be a bit...pushy ...is all..." Esmerelda told her sister.

Ethel had a feeling her sister was hiding something but she had promised not to tell if she was not being hit and as she felt nothing could be worse she nodded.

"Okay I won't tell, I am sorry I never realised they pushed you so hard" Ethel told her sister feeling bad for how she treats her. She always thought it would be amazing to be Esmerelda and now she realised maybe it wasn't.

"No worries...I can deal with it...now what was that spell you wanted to show me?" Esmerelda asked her distracting her sister and getting her off the subject of her bruises.

Ethel smiled and showed her sister the spell she had learned but she had a worry in the back of her mind and that was the moment she realised she really knew a lot less about her sister than she thought, Ethel had thought she knew everything about her sister and her parents but that moment made her realise she knew nothing at all and that is why she promised herself to be kinder to her sister for now on because the girl clearly dealt with more than Ethel will ever know about.


End file.
